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The Guardian
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Clickbait titles and cliffhangers: TV serials made for phones grip viewers
Found a Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas. The Quarterback Next Door. Revenge of the XXL Wife. My Secret Agent Husband. These may sound like cringy fantasies, but they're actually titles of 'vertical dramas', a new form of episodic television that's gripping millions around the world. The genre, which originated in China and has been called 'TV for the Tiktok generation', consists of minute-long episodes designed for smartphones. It's experienced such a boom that the market is predicted to be worth $14bn (£11bn) by 2027. 'The rise means that there are a lot of audiences who haven't been satisfied by the current supply of the media market,' Zhou Yuan, founder of the Beijing-based vertical film production house Content Republic, told Hong Kong's Filmart last month. Duanjus – Chinese for micro dramas – began their life on social media before transforming the national audiovisual market in China. Chinese companies are now working with foreign production companies to export the form, buoyed by a slew of new streaming apps such as ReelShort, ShortTV, DramaPops and FlexTV. Last November, the California-based, Chinese-backed ReelShort overtook TikTok as the most popular product in the entertainment section of Apple's app store in the US – and has been downloaded by more than 30m people since its launch in 2022. 'Some people said, 'I can't believe someone would pay for this,'' Joey Jia, CEO of Crazy Maple Studio, the company behind ReelShort told the Washington Post. 'Our answer is: You think you understand the entire entertainment market? You don't.' Viewers are attracted to many of the tropes that BookTok readers recognise, such as enemies to lovers, secret billionaires and werewolves. They report becoming hooked thanks to the clickbait titles, cliffhangers and eyebrow-raising scenes. Apps will usually offer a handful of episodes for free, before requiring a paid subscription. Much like a video game, ReelShort allows its users to purchase 'coins' to access episodes. Jen Cooper, the British founder of the website Vertical Drama Love, was drawn to the format because of her love for romantic movies and comedies. 'Last April, I was going through a really difficult time personally. I couldn't relax or focus enough to watch full-length dramas anymore,' the former bookseller said. 'One day I was scrolling TikTok and saw an ad that made me go, 'what?!'.' She ended up watching her first vertical drama, You Belong With Me, about a jilted woman who gets together with her ex's uncle. 'It's full of classic tropes, but at the heart of it is a gorgeous love story with some genuinely funny moments,' she said. After that, Cooper 'went down the rabbit hole'. She set up an Instagram account to write reviews and connect with those within the industry, and quickly formed a community. The interest was so huge that when she set up fan awards, she received more than 16,000 votes from around the world in just one week. Cooper learned that many others discovered verticals during difficult times in their life. 'I've heard from fans who are bereaved, living with serious health conditions, or acting as carers. The audience is largely women, from early 20s to 60s. I've spoken to a student in Pakistan, a bed-bound older woman in Italy, and a single mum whose husband died from an overdose who tunes in while doing the housework.' The common appeal for all of them is escapism; a quick and guaranteed dopamine hit when life feels overwhelming. 'People want to see good triumph over bad, and – let's be honest – very attractive people falling in love.' Defne Turan, production manager for London-based Sea Star Productions, which makes verticals, said the format was 'the way of the world now'. She said the company had been receiving applications from film-makers and actors who wanted to be involved. 'It's a new genre and I believe it should be handled with as much care as any other part of the industry. Just because it's different and fast-paced doesn't mean the standards are any less,' she said. 'We use industry standard cameras and lots of the production crew and make-up artists have all worked on big productions.' For many of the actors, verticals have been a lifeline. At a time when strikes and cutbacks have made work hard to come by, they provide consistent jobs. Verticals are typically filmed in just seven to 10 days, with two cameras capturing scenes in a single take. Teig Sadhana, 29, a Australian-British actor based in New York, began working in verticals after graduating from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting last year. 'I applied to an ad on a pretty standard acting job site,' he said. 'I didn't know what a vertical was, I just needed the pay check.' He had a brief call with a director, and a few days later was on location in Pennsylvania to shoot Glory of Revenge. 'Since then I've made 10 films across all the major vertical platforms, worked with incredible professionals, and am finding some of the joys and comforts of having regular work. Not an easy thing to manage so quickly out of the conservatory.' While he initially struggled to make sense of a format with limited room for character development, Sadhana said it helped to avoid 'overcomplicating it too much'. Nic Westaway, a former star of the Australian TV soap opera Home and Away, who now appears in the hit vertical The Double Life of Mr President, told Filmart: 'In Australia, I played one character for nearly four years, nearly 400 episodes; but in the last nine months I've got to play 14 different characters in 14 different crazy verticals.' According to Zhou, Content Republic is aiming to have 400 verticals in production each year: 200 for the domestic Chinese market and 200 for an international audience. Whether the novelty factor will wear off is yet to be seen (Quibi shut down after just six months), but even traditional media companies are monitoring the trend as they look to appeal to younger viewers with diminishing attention spans. In 2023, Paramount Pictures briefly released Mean Girls on TikTok in 23 snippets. 'It's a space we're watching closely, with plenty to learn from how audiences and creators are embracing it,' Sacha Khari, Channel 4's head of digital commissioning, said.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Indonesia Is Booming With Local Content & International Co-Productions; Lack Of Incentives Remains A Challenge — Filmart
Indonesia is booming with local content, international co-productions and a vibrant box office, although overseas distribution and the absence of film incentives remain weaknesses, said film professionals currently working in Indonesia, on a panel at Hong Kong's Filmart. Indonesia's culture minister, Fadli Zon, was also present at the panel, alongside a delegation from the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong. More from Deadline 'Say My Name', 'Her First Taste' Win HKIFF Industry WIP Awards Hong Kong's Phoenix Waters Productions & Korea's Studio Target Sign MOU And Set Upcoming Action Thriller 'Shashou' - Filmart 'Karma' Trailer: Netflix's Latest Korean Thriller Stars Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a & Lee Kwang-soo Justin Kim, head of international production at CJ ENM, has been steadily growing the Korean entertainment powerhouse's footprint in Indonesia since 2014. Kim said that CJ ENM's foray into the Indonesian film industry started out with the conglomerate giving out a few awards at Busan's Asian Project Market in 2014, including for a 'most anticipated' project, which was given to Joko Anwar's A Copy of My Mind. At that time, Kim was an international sales manager and CJ ENM ended up representing the film. Anwar's feature travelled to the Venice, Toronto, Busan and Rotterdam film festivals. This convinced CJ ENM that working in Indonesia with the country's talents would be a fruitful endeavor and help to expand the company's businesses and network abroad. 'Getting into the major film festivals was quite a phenomenal thing for us,' said Kim. 'We were really happy, as it was very hard for us to get into these major film festivals with the Korean films that we were producing. It was a monumental fresh start for us.' Kim has since overseen co-productions like Sweet 20, Cado Cado: Doctor 101, an Indonesian remake of Korean film Miss Granny (which has also been remade into eight other local languages) and horror hit Satan's Slaves, among others. However, finding the right theatrical window to release CJ ENM's co-produced films in Indonesia has proven difficult amid the market's crowded calendar. 'Because of the volume of films in Indonesia, it is difficult to find the right window for a theatrical release,' said Kim. 'On the positive side, this shows the strength of film production in Indonesia with the country's prolific output.' Lorna Tee, founder at Mylab and international acquisitions advisor at Korea's Barunson E&A, pointed out that the role of independent producers in Indonesia has sometimes been overlooked. 'The role of independent producers in the film ecosystem has to be given more support,' said Tee. 'They are the foundation that creates the base for future growth; they do a lot of the work to cultivate and nurture new talents, encourage risk, as well as take the risk that studios are not willing to.' Tee added that there should be more screens in Indonesia, and that the exhibition sector has become too cutthroat. 'What's important is for a growth of a market is for the exhibition sector to allow for the diversity of films, and to grow and support local film releases in a way that does not kill a film if it's not performing on day one or day two,' said Tee. 'It's become so cutthroat because there are so many films, and it's understandable that they want to put the most profitable films out there. 'However, some films need a bit more time to build that word-of-mouth and to gain traction. The exhibition sector is the bastion of connection to the audience, as well as the big players and small players. It's really important that they are able to come in and support that growth in a more healthy manner,' said Tee. Edwin Nazir, producer and chairman of the Association of Indonesian Film Producers (APROFI), said that the introduction of government policies for film tax rebates and permits to support international co-productions will help to invigorate the Indonesian film industry. Nazir says that Indonesia's tax rebates and permits are the two areas he receives the most number of questions about, from overseas film professionals looking to shoot in Indonesia. 'This is something we've asked the authorities and the government has been trying to find the best scheme of funding to support international productions,' said Nazir. 'For the tax and cash rebates, we've discussed this for several years but it's still difficult in Indonesia, as for locations and permits, this goes to the local government, but for equipment and rental, this goes to the finance authorities. 'One thing we are trying to show to potential partners, is that even though we do not have a cash or tax rebate, shooting in Indonesia is still good for value,' added Nazir. Yulia Evina Bhara, prolific Indonesian producer and founder of Kawankawan Media, highlighted that global distribution remains one of the biggest weaknesses in Indonesia's film landscape, but co-production can help to bridge this gap in a few markets. She has co-produced films like Stone Turtle, Tiger Stripes, Don't Cry Butterfly and Autobiography, which have all picked up an array of top awards on the festival circuit. 'With Indonesian films, we still have a problem with distribution, so I think co-productions allow us to at least have the opportunity to bring the film overseas, particularly in our co-producers' countries,' said Bhara. 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Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jessie Mei Li, Karena Lam, Justin Chien & Toby Stephens Among International Cast Set For PCCW, SK Global Premium Series ‘The Season'
PCCW Media and Crazy Rich Asians producer SK Global are joining forces on Hong Kong-set premium series The Season, created and executive produced by Yalun Tu. The English-language series features an ensemble cast of international talent including Jessie Mei Li (Shadow And Bone), award-winning Hong Kong actress Karena Lam, Justin Chien (The Brothers Sun), Yvonne Chapman (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Celina Jade (Wolf Warrior 2) and Toby Stephens (Percy Jackson And The Olympians). More from Deadline Taiwan Showcases New Films & Series At Filmart, With Top Talent In Attendance CreAsia Studio & Vision+ Unveil 'My Chef In Crime' Series For Indonesia - Filmart UK & China Seek Co-Pro Opportunities; BBC Studios Sets 'Walking With Dinosaurs' iQiyi Streaming Launch For China - Filmart Chilean director Marialy Rivas (The Jetty) serves as the show's lead director and executive producer. Agatha Lo will executive produce for PCCW Media and Chloe Dan, Matt Aragachi and Dylan Tarason for SK Global, with Aaron Shershow (Expats) as producer. Production is expected to start in Hong Kong soon. Yalun Tu is known for writing and producing credits on NCIS: Hawaii and Wu Assassins, as well as My Undead Yokai Girlfriend for Prime Video Japan. The cast is rounded out by Koki, winner of the Rising Star award at this year's Asian Film Awards, as well as Anson Lo of Mirror and Marf Yau from Collar, both bands managed by PCCW group, as well as hosts and actors Thor Lok and Mishy Lee. The six-part show, unveiled at Hong Kong Filmart today, follows a close-knit group of friends gathering for a summer of sun-drenched luxury as Hong Kong's boating season begins. But what starts as a glamorous escape soon spirals into a web of deception, power struggles and life-altering consequences. PCCW's regional streaming service Viu, available in 16 territories in Southeast Asia, Middle East and South Africa, will stream the series with additional distribution details to be announced. Janice Lee, Managing Director, PCCW Media Group and Viu CEO, said: 'We believe The Season is a story that will connect with audiences everywhere through the characters' personal journeys, relationships and conflicts at times. We hope that the show, set against the backdrop of Hong Kong, will give an added layer of energy and vibrancy to the series and provide a window into Hong Kong's unique culture, international spirit and iconic scenes that is authentic.' Los Angeles-based SK Global has produced romantic comedies Anyone But You and Crazy Rich Asians, crime drama The Place Beyond The Pines, and Asia-set drama series Thai Cave Rescue and Delhi Crime. Best of Deadline James Mangold's 'A Complete Unknown': Everything We Know About The Bob Dylan Biopic So Far 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UK & China Seek Co-Pro Opportunities; BBC Studios Sets ‘Walking with Dinosaurs' iQiyi Streaming Launch For China — Filmart
At the UK-China Screen Forum held with Hong Kong's Filmart, BBC Studios unveiled that Walking with Dinosaurs will premiere exclusively on iQiyi for mainland China audiences in 2025, and a Chinese-dubbed version of nature series Asia will also launch on Phoenix Chinese Channel. The forum, now in its fourth edition, featured a delegation from the UK's Department of Business and Trade (DBT), British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Studios, Film Export UK as well as from China's Pheonix TV and Bilibili. Organizers said that another UK-China Screen Forum will run during the BFI London Film Festival in October. More from Deadline EST N8 Acquires Indonesian Horror Film 'Pabrik Gula' ('Sugar Mill') For North America Release - Filmart Josie Ho's 852 Films Unveils Five New Projects; Signs Acting Deal With Iman Taheri - Filmart 'All We Imagine As Light' Takes Top Honors At Asian Film Awards; Japanese Filmmaker Daihachi Yoshida Wins Best Director For 'Teki Cometh' Singapore-based Phil Hardman, executive VP and general manager of Asia at BBC Studios, highlighted how the upcoming six-part Walking with Dinosaurs series relaunches a beloved IP from 1999 from the BBC's Science Unit. Hardman also said that the BBC's Planet Earth series, Bluey and Inside No. 9 works have all done well in China, with the company also co-producing Supertato with Tencent Video. Rupert Daniels, Director of Creative, Services and Skills at the UK's DBT highlighted four key priorities for UK-China relations in the entertainment industries: innovate new co-productions; increase Chinese investment in UK infrastructure; harness the UK's IP in publishing, music, film, TV and immersive; and establish the UK as the partner of choice to scale businesses and collaborate. 'We've invested hugely in our production facilities, it's driven by tax dollars and this is something we actually want to encourage Chinese companies and investors to work with UK production partners on,' said Daniels. Daniels added that under the new UK government, the creative industry was selected as one of eight top growth priorities. The UK's creative industries generate £125B ($162B) in revenue per year and forms the third largest creative services exporter in the world behind the US and Ireland. This is Daniels' first UK delegation to Filmart since the pandemic. 'From from our side in government, we have nothing to sell like the BBC, but what we have is the duty to try to make the conditions easier for everybody, so that you remove as many regulatory burdens on all sides,' said Daniels. 'For example, what I mentioned about tax credits, those are designed to create growth and are designed to open up the UK market to global co-productions.' Daniels further stated that £4.8B ($6.2B) in UK film and TV production spend was on inward investment and co-production in 2024. A new UK Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC), at a net rate of 39.75%, will also be available from April 1 this year to films with budgets up to £15m that meet the criteria of a new BFI UK creative practitioner test. He emphasized that he is keen to put pen to paper on more agreements between the UK and China film industries in the near future. 'I want to turn contacts into contracts,' said Daniels, who has made business visits to Beijing and Shanghai in recent years, and will also visit Shenzhen in the coming days. For UK film sales companies arriving in Hong Kong, genre titles have remained as the most promising area for business. Grace Carley, chief executive of Film Export UK, which currently represents 28 companies that sell independent feature films internationally, acknowledged that it is still a very challenging environment for UK sales companies to do business in China. She pointed out that her Film Export UK delegation to Filmart has shrunk post-Covid. 'It's been very difficult to sell, particularly into China, for the last five or six years, but I think with more co-productions, partnership and collaboration, this will be more possible,' said Carley. 'Part of this comes down to the fact that China has such fantastic offerings.' Some UK sales agents present at Filmart include Altitude, Alliance Media Partners, Film Seekers, Jinga Films, Screenbound and Kaleidoscope Film Distribution. Carley remains hopeful that a bigger delegation will come to Filmart next year, and highlighted opportunities for both Chinese and UK companies to work together. 'It's about releasing in the UK as well — for us to have more Chinese products in the UK — that will really help us to understand what works in China,' adds Carley. Cura Zhang, vice-general manager and head of Bilibili's factual content, said: 'We're looking forward to more collaborations between Bilibili and all kinds of production houses, broadcasters and companies around the UK to find out more internationalization possibilities. We are trying to export more Chinese content, more Bilibili content. 'We are also welcoming and importing more British content to China to satisfy our users. We have a huge demand for international content on Bilibili by the younger generation, and that is why internationalization is one of the most important targets for Bilibili in the next few years,' added Zhang. Best of Deadline Epic Universe: The Latest Images Of The New Universal Orlando Theme Park Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office
South China Morning Post
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
AI Hub makes debut at top film industry trade show in Hong Kong
A dedicated artificial intelligence zone highlighting cutting-edge film production solutions is a feature of Hong Kong's Filmart, Asia's largest movie trade show, for the first time as the city embraces AI to boost high-quality productivity and upgrade traditional industries. Advertisement The 29th Hong Kong International Film and TV Market, or Filmart, opened on Monday at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai as part of the Trade Development Council's annual Entertainment Expo. Filmart has put together an AI Hub pilot programme featuring exhibitions from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Sony and Lenovo, with industry leaders sharing insights, including the production team of mainland Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2. 'Each company possesses its own AI technologies. There is a lack of opportunity for everyone to come together and understand each other's capabilities,' said Mak Chun-hung, president of the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals. 'This time, the organiser wants us to take on the role of creating a platform to showcase what they have. Advertisement 'It's like a general catalogue where you can list what you have, and then everyone can come together at this opportunity to start testing and developing AI in filmmaking.'
